happy groundhog's day!

Here in New York, we like to think of ourselves as mutli-cultural, pan-ethnic, and for the most part, pretty open minded.

As such, we like to rely on weather predictions from a small furry guy named (and I'm not kidding about this) Staten Island Chuck.

This cutie pie lives in the Staten Island Zoo, and apparently predicted an early end to winter this morning, much to the delight of schoolchildren and mayors alike.
Staten Island Chuck is famous, ranking up there with Punxsutawney Phil:

Dunkirk Dave, Shubenacadie Sam

Wiarton Willie, General Beauregard Lee

and Peewee the Woodchuck. (Are female groundhogs unreliable, I wonder? And what's Peewee the Woodchuck doing being a groundhog?)

I'm not 100% sure I believe him (he seems a little camera-happy to me) but I sure wouldn't mind an early spring, especially seeing what we have to look forward to for the next week or so:

According to NY1 (the news channel of choice!), Chuck has only been wrong four times in the last twenty six years. (hell, I've been wrong four times in the last twenty six minutes) And apparently, all the groundhogs have predicted an early spring this year. Conspiracy? Or are the groundhogs really just pawns in a more deliberate, da Vinci Code type affair?

Inquiring minds want to know... but can't really be bothered to find out.